_-_Barcode.png "e-ISSN")
The social meanings of coffee consumption in Brunei: A sociological exploration
Abstract
Coffee, as one of the world’s principal commodities, has long been connected with Western culture in the beverage industry. This study explores the reasons of the stated phenomenon, why it arose, the social significance and meanings of consuming coffee, and lastly, the influences of coffee culture on individuals' lifestyles through coffee consumption in Brunei. This study employed a qualitative technique, including interviews via an online conferencing platform Zoom, which involved 11 respondents aged 17-47 years-old occupying various professions such a manager, clerks, teachers, and officers as well as graduate students. This original article discovered that consumers consumed coffee leading to particular social meanings, including prestige and productivity, symbolism, personal recollections and nostalgia, and social features attributed to coffee consuming activities. Coffee was also consumed as a lifestyle habit and daily routine, as well as connoisseurship from establishing an acquired taste and social identity constructs. It is worth-noting that the shift in social meaning about coffee consumption in Brunei is dynamic, complexed, and obviously inseparable from one another. Our interview accounts also unfold that there is a sensuous juxtaposition within these socio-cultural elements of coffee emanating from subjective experiences of regularly consuming specific coffee brands in selected cafes, which also embody pivotal ambiences.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Adams, J. (2012). Australia’s American coffee culture. Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 2(1), 23–36. https://doi. org/10.1386/ajpc.2.1.23_1
Adhi, R. W., & Yunus, U. (2021). The meaning of coffee for barista in speciality coffee shop in Indonesia. Journal of Creative Communications, 17(1), 097325862110058. https://doi.org/10.1177/097325862110058
Aksan, N., Kısac, B., Aydın, M., & Demirbuken, S. (2009). Symbolic interaction theory. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 902–904. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.160
Alam, M. (2021). Mental health impact of online learning: A look into university students in Brunei Darussalam. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 67, 102933. https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34837832/
Alam, M. (2024). Linking COVID-19, economic inequality, and pervasive mental health. In R. Bajkady, S. M. Sajid,
J. Przeperski, V. Nadesan, M. Rezaul Islam, & J. Gao (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of global social problems. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- 3-030-68127-2_468-1
Alam, M., & Hoon, C. Y. (2021). Digidemic and students’ hysteresis during online learning. In L. H. Phan, A. Kumpoh,
K. Wood, R. Jawawi, & H. Said (Eds.), Globalisation, education, and reform in Brunei Darussalam (pp. 377–389). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3- 030-77119-5_18
Alam, M., Mahalle, S., & Suwarto, H. S. (2023). Mental distress among Indonesian academic mothers during enforced remote working. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47(7), 941–953. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2023.2203802
Allen, J. S. (2012). The omnivorous mind: Our evolving relationship with food. Harvard University Press.
American Sociological Association. (2011). Ethics. http://www.asanet.org/about/ ethics.cfm
Appadurai, A. (Ed.). (1986). The social life of things: Commodities in cultural perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Aregay, M. W. (1988). The early history of Ethiopia’s coffee trade and the rise of Shawa. The Journal of African History, 29(1), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S0021853700035969
Basak, D., & Roy Chowdhury, I. (2024). Role of self-help groups on socioeconomic development and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among rural women in Cooch Behar District, India. Regional Sustainability, 5(2), 100140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. regsus.2024.100140
Bellani, L., & Hidalgo-Hidalgo, M. (2025). Bridging the gender gap: Women’s education and political representation. Economics of Education Review, 104, 102605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. econedurev.2024.102605
Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
Bucher, J., Fidpatrick, D., Swanson, A. G., & Abraham, S. P. (2019). Caffeine intake habits and the perception of its effects on health among college students. The Health Care Manager, 38(1), 44–49. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCM.0000000000000240
Burton, R. (1632). The anatomy of melancholy. Tudor Publishing Company.
Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. Prentice-Hall.
Charmaz, K., & Belgrave, L. L. (2013). Modern symbolic interaction theory and health. In Medical sociology on the move (pp. 11–39). Springer.
Cherrier, H. (2007). Ethical consumption practices: Co-production of self- expression and social recognition. Journal of Consumer Behaviour: An International Research Review, 6(5), 321–335. https:// doi.org/10.1002/cb.224
Cockerham, W. C., Abel, T., & Lüschen, G. (1993). Max Weber, formal rationality, and health lifestyles. Sociological Quarterly, 34(3), 413–425. https://www. jstor.org/stable/4121105
Cope, M. (2009). Transcripts (coding and analysis). International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 3, 350–354.
Crouch, M., & McKenzie, H. (2006). The logic of small samples in interview-based research. Social Science Information sur les Sciences Sociales, 45(4), 483–499. https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018406069584
Cronbach, L. J. (1971). Test validation. In R. Thorndike (Ed.), Educational measurement (Vol. 2, pp. 443–507). American Council on Education.
Dadan, S., Nugroho, H., & Budiman, C. (2023). The representation of identity politic of Banyumas culture as a Javanese sub-culture in Banyumas style T-shirt design. Asian Journal of Social and Humanities, 1(11). https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v1i11.109
Discetti, R., Osei, M., & Pruhtpahon, S. (2024). The role of “localness” in sustainable food consumption: Insights from sustainable coffee in Thailand. British Food Journal, 126(12), 4396–4416. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2024-0192
Dolfsma, W. (1999). The consumption of music and the expression of values: A social economic explanation for the advent of pop music. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 58(4), 1019–1046. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1536-7150.1999.tb03406.x
Eliaeson, S. (2000). Max Weber’s methodology: An ideal-type. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 36(3), 241–263. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6696(200022)36
Feldman, S. M. (1991). An interpretation of Max Weber’s theory of law: Metaphysics, economics, and the iron cage of constitutional law. Law & Social Inquiry, 16(2), 205–248. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-4469.1991.tb00919.x
Ferreira, J., & Ferreira, C. (2018). Challenges and opportunities of new retail horizons in emerging markets: The case of a rising coffee culture in China. Business Horizons, 61(5), 783–796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.06.001
Francis, L. E., & Adams, R. E. (2019). Two faces of self and emotion in symbolic interactionism: From process to structure and culture—and back. Symbolic Interaction, 42(2), 250–277. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26629980
Garner, B. (2015). Interpersonal coffee drinking communication rituals. International Journal of Marketing and Business Communication, 4(4). http://www.publishingindia.com/ijmbc/49/interpersonal-coffee-drinking-communication-rituals/424/3014/
Gavin, D. (2013). Starbucks exceptionalism: An institutional ethnographic exploration of coffee culture in America. Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, 4(3), 44–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpoc.21118
Gholampour, M., & Ayati, M. (2019). Analysis of symbolic interaction theory and its implications in curriculum. Higher Education Letter, 12(45), 147–169. https://journal.sanjesh.org/article_35098_ en.html
Giacalone, D., Fosgaard, T. R., Steen, I., & Münchow, M. (2016). Quality does not sell itself. British Food Journal, 118(10), 2462–2474. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2016-0127
Hageman, A. M. (2008). A review of the strengths and weaknesses of archival, behavioral, and qualitative research methods: Recognizing the potential benefits of triangulation. Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research, 11. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1099989
Hebdige, D. (1979). Subculture: The meaning of style. Routledge.
Helgi Analytics. (2022). Coffee consumption per capita in Brunei. Helgi Library. https://www.helgilibrary.com/indicators/coffee-consumption-per-capita/brunei
Holdaway, S. (2000). Theory and method in qualitative research. In D. Burton (Ed.), Research training for social scientists (pp. 156–166). Sage.
Holdman, J. D. (2006). Food and memory. Annual Review of Anthropology, 35(1), 361–378. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.35.081705.123220
IBISWorld. (2021). Coffee production in the US – Market size. https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/ coffee-production-united-states
International Coffee Organization. (2018). Coffee market report. https://www.ico.org/Market-Report-18-19-e.asp
Iannucci, F., & Santos, R. (Producers). (2017). Coffee for all [Documentary]. Netflix.
Jensen, M. (2007). Defining lifestyle. Environmental Sciences, 4(2), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/15693430701472747
Kalberg, S. (1980). Max Weber’s types of rationality: Cornerstones for the analysis of rationalization processes in history. American Journal of Sociology, 85(5), 1145–1179. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2778894
Karim, N. S., & Alam, M. (2021). Struggling with digital pandemic: Students’ narratives about adapting to online learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 21(2), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEAMJ-02-2021-B1002
Kifrawi, M. E. H. A., & Alam, M. (2025). COVID-19 pandemic imposed digital inequalities among higher education learners in Brunei. In R. Baikady, S.
M. Sajid, J. Przeperski, V. Nadesan, M. R. Islam, & J. Gao (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of global social problems (pp. 1–21). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_622-1
Kleine, R. E., Kleine, S., & Kernan, J. (1993). Mundane consumption and the self: A social identity perspective. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2(3), 209–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-7408(08)80015-0
Kozinets, R. V. (2006). Netnography. In V. Jupp (Ed.), The Sage dictionary of social research methods (p. 135). Sage Publications.
Kjeldgaard, D., & Østberg, J. (2007). Coffee grounds and the global cup: Glocal consumer culture in Scandinavia. Advances in Consumer Research, 34, 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253860701256281
Kuhn, M. H. (1964). Major trends in symbolic interaction theory in the past twenty-five years. The Sociological Quarterly, 5(1), 61–84. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4105182
Laiz, Á. M., & Schlichte, K. (2016). Rationality and international domination: Revisiting Max Weber. International Political Sociology, 10(2), 168–184. https://doi.org/10.1093/ips/olw004
Lal, B. B. (1995). Symbolic interaction theories. American Behavioral Scientist, 38(3), 421–441. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642950380030
Levy, D., Reinecke, J., & Manning, S. (2016). The political dynamics of sustainable coffee: Contested value regimes and the transformation of sustainability. Journal of Management Studies, 53(3), 364–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12144
Lindblad, J., & Svensson, E. (2017). One more cup of coffee: Mundane consumption of everyday consumer goods. Lund University Library.
Minten, B., Dereje, M., Engida, E., & Tamru, S. (2018). Tracking the quality premium of certified coffee: Evidence from Ethiopia. World Development, 101, 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.08.010
Mishler, E. G. (1986). Research interviewing: Context and narrative. Harvard University Press.
Mittal, B. (2006). I, me, and mine: How products become consumers' extended selves. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 5(6), 550–562. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.202
Neuman, W. L. (2011). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Pearson.
Noh, Y., Kim, M. J., & Kim, D. Y. (2024). The effect of brand lovemark on reusable cups in coffee shops: Machine use intention, willingness to pay a deposit, and green brand loyalty. Sustainability, 16(3), 1113. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031113
Norkus, Z. (2000). Max Weber's interpretive sociology and rational choice approach. Rationality and Society, 12(3), 259–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/104346300012003001
Parsons, S. D. (2006). Max Weber and economic sociology: A response to Peukert. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 65(5), 1111–1124. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27739612
Paulus, R., Roth, A., Titus, L., Chen, R., Bridges, M. C., & Woodyard, S. (2015). Impact of various caffeine vehicles on mood and cognitive, neurological and physiological functions over five hours. The Ohio Journal of Science, 115(2), 12–23. https://ojs.library.osu.edu/index.php/OJS/article/view/4607
Petit, N. (2007). Ethiopia's coffee sector: A bitter or better future? Journal of Agrarian Change, 7(2), 225–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0366.2007.00145.x
Puppo, A. (2021, May 18). Pandemic hasn’t tempered coffee’s popularity. QSR Web. https://www.qsrweb.com/blogs/pandemic-hasnt-tempered-coffees-popularity/
O’Malley, P., & Valverde, M. (2004). Pleasure, freedom and drugs: The uses of ‘pleasure’ in liberal governance of drug and alcohol consumption. Sociology, 38(1), 25–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038504039359
Rancati, G., Nguyen, T. T. T., Fowler, D., Mauri, M., & Schuld, C. D. (2024). Customer experience in coffee stores: A multidisciplinary neuromarketing approach. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 23(1), 243–259. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2184
Renard, M. C. (1999). The interstices of globalization: The example of fair coffee. Sociologia Ruralis, 39(4), 484–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00120
Samoggia, A., & Riedel, B. (2018). Coffee consumption and purchasing behavior review: Insights for further research. Appetite, 129, 70–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.002
Samoggia, A., Riedel, B., & Ruggeri, A. (2020). Social media exploration for understanding food product attributes perception: The case of coffee and health with Twitter data. British Food Journal, 122(12), 3815–3835. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2019-0172
Schneider, A., & Heise, D. R. (1995). Simulating symbolic interaction. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 20(2–3), 271–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/002225 0X.1995.9990165
Seargeant, P., & Tagg, C. (2014). The language of social media: Identity and community on the internet. Palgrave Macmillan.
Serpe, R. T., Stryker, R., & Powell, B. (2020). Structural symbolic interaction and identity theory: The Indiana school and beyond. In Identity and symbolic interaction (pp. 1–33). Springer.
Shih, Y.-P., & Chang, C. H. (2010). The sweet and the bitter of drips: Modernity, postcoloniality, and coffee culture in Taiwan. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 10(6), 445–456. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532708610372766
Silalahi, R. V., & Novenson, N. (2024). Unlocking customer loyalty in Indonesian local coffee shops: An in- depth analysis of the influential factors. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis, 15(2), 419–446. https://doi.org/10.18196/mb.v15i2.22441
Smith, R. W., & Bugni, V. (2006). Symbolic interaction theory and architecture. Symbolic Interaction, 29(2), 123–155. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.2006.29.2.123
Sobierajski, T. (2025). Social aspects of coffee: Globalization and lifestyle. In The link between coffee and health (pp. 629–634). Springer Nature Swiderland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93459-9_38
Statista. (2015). Share of coffee consumption in the United States in 2015, by location. http:// www.statista.com/statistics/250148/us-coffee-consumption-by-location/
Stroebaek, P. S. (2013). Let’s have a cup of coffee! Coffee and coping communities at work. Symbolic Interaction, 36(4), 381–397. https://doi.org/10.1002/symb.76
Stroh, M. (2000). Qualitative interviewing. In D. Burton (Ed.), Research training for social scientists: A handbook for postgraduate researchers (pp. 196–217). Sage.
Stafford, T. (2003). Psychology in the coffee shop. The Psychologist, 16(7), 358–359. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-06752-004
Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative research: Data collection, analysis, and management. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 68(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v68i3.1456
Sullivan, O., & Gershuny, J. (2004). Inconspicuous consumption: Work-rich, time-poor in the liberal market economy. Journal of Consumer Culture, 4(1), 79–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540504040905
Sylvain, P. G. (1958). Ethiopian coffee—its significance to world coffee problems. Economic Botany, 12(2), 111–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862767
Tucker, C. M. (2017). Coffee culture: Local experiences, global connections. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315678795
Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Routledge.
Turner, J. H. (2011). Extending the symbolic interactionist theory of interaction processes: A conceptual outline. Symbolic Interaction, 34(3), 330–339. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2011.34.3.330
Topik, S. (2009). Coffee as a social drug. Cultural Critique, 71(Drugs in Motion: Mind- and Body-Altering Substances in the World’s Cultural Economy), 81–106. https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25475497
Verma, H. V. (2013). Coffee and tea: Socio- cultural meaning, context and branding. Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 9(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/2319510X13504283
Wainaina, W., Iravo, M., & Wanjala, M. (2023). Capacity building and women leadership in Kenya political elective positions. International Journal of Leadership and Governance, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.47604/ijlg.2099
Wang, M. J., Opoku, E. K., & Tham, A. (2024). Exploring Gen-Z consumers’ preference for specialty coffee in the socio-cultural context of Taiwan. Young Consumers, 25(3), 368–382. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-08-2023-1844
Waxman, L. (2008). The coffee shop: Social and physical factors influencing place attachment. Journal of Interior Design, 31(3), 35–53. https://doi. org/10.1111/j.1939-1668.2006.tb00530.x
Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society. University of California Press.
Weinberg, B. A., & Bealer, B. K. (2000). The world of caffeine: The science and culture of the world’s most popular drug. Routledge.
Xu, X., & Ng, A. Y. (2022). Cultivation of new taste: Taste makers and new forms of distinction in China’s coffee culture. Information, Communication & Society, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2085616
Yngfalk, C. (2016). Bio-politicizing consumption: Neo-liberal consumerism and disembodiment in the food marketplace. Consumption Markets & Culture, 19(3), 275–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2015.1102725
Zavaleta, C, J., & Corbett, P. E. (2024). Public decision making by women’s self-help groups and its contributions to women’s empowerment: Evidence from West Bengal, India. World Development Perspectives, 33, 100549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2023.100549
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v8i2.32078
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Waliyah Haji Mohammad Saiful Rizal, Meredian Alam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simulacra has been indexed in these prominent indexing services:
Simulacra is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA and published by the Center for Sociological Studies and Community Development, Department of Sociology, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia.
